Control system for work vehicle, control method, and work vehicle

ABSTRACT

A work vehicle control system includes an actual topography acquisition device, a storage device, a soil amount acquisition device, and a controller. The actual topography acquisition device acquires actual topography information, which indicates an actual topography of a work target. The storage device stores design topography information, which indicates a final design topography of the work target. The soil amount acquisition device generates a soil amount signal indicating a held soil amount of the work implement. The controller acquires the actual topography information from the actual topography acquisition device, the design topography information from the storage device, and the soil amount signal from the soil amount acquisition device. The controller determines an intermediate design topography positioned above the actual topography and below the final design topography in accordance with the held soil amount. The controller generates a command signal to move the work implement based on the intermediate design topography.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a U.S. National stage application of InternationalApplication No. PCT/JP2017/026926, filed on Jul. 25, 2017. This U.S.National stage application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) toJapanese Patent Application No. 2016-146377, filed in Japan on Jul. 26,2016, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a control system for a work vehicle, acontrol method, and a work vehicle.

Background Information

An automatic control for automatically adjusting the position of a workimplement has been conventionally proposed for work vehicles such asbulldozers or graders and the like. For example, Japanese PatentPublication No. 5247939 discloses excavation control and levelingcontrol.

Under the excavation control, the position of the blade is automaticallyadjusted such that the load applied to the blade coincides with a targetload. Under the leveling control, the position of the blade isautomatically adjusted so that the tip of the blade moves along a designtopography which represents a target shape of the excavation target.

SUMMARY

Work conducted by a work vehicle includes filling work as well asexcavating work. During filling work, the work vehicle removes soil froma cutting with the work implement. The work vehicle then piles theremoved soil in a predetermined position and compacts the piled soil bytraveling over the piled soil. As a result for example, the depressedtopography is filled in and a flat shape can be formed.

However, it is difficult to perform desirable filling work under theabovementioned automatic controls. For example as indicated in FIG. 20,in the leveling control, the position of the blade is automaticallyadjusted so that a blade tip 200 of the blade moves along a designtopography 100. As a result, when the filling work is performed with theleveling control, a large amount of soil is piled at one time in aposition in front of the work vehicle 300 as illustrated in FIG. 20 bythe dashed line. In this case, it is difficult to compact the piled soilbecause the height of the piled soil is too large. As a result, there isa problem that the quality of the finished work is poor. Alternatively,there is a need for the work vehicle 300 to travel multiple times overthe piled soil in order to sufficiently compact the piled soil. In thiscase, there is a problem that the efficiency of the work is poor.

An object of the present invention is to provide a control system for awork vehicle, a control method, and a work vehicle that enable fillingwork to be performed that is efficient and exhibits a quality finishusing automatic controls.

This work vehicle control system according to a first aspect is providedwith an actual topography acquisition device, a storage device, a soilamount acquisition device, and a controller. The actual topographyacquisition device acquires actual topography information whichindicates an actual topography of a work target. The storage devicestores design topography information which indicates a final designtopography which is a target topography of the work target. The soilamount acquisition device generates a soil amount signal which indicatesa held soil amount of the work implement. The controller acquires theactual topography information from the actual topography acquisitiondevice. The controller acquires the design topography information fromthe storage device. The controller acquires the soil amount signal fromthe soil amount acquisition device. The controller determines anintermediate design topography that is positioned above the actualtopography and below the final design topography in accordance with thesoil amount. The controller generates a command signal to move the workimplement on the basis of the intermediate design topography.

A control method of the work vehicle according to a second aspectincludes the following steps. Actual topography information is acquiredin a first step. The actual topography information indicates the actualtopography of a work target. Design topography information is acquiredin a second step. The design topography information indicates a finaldesign topography which is a target topography of the work target. Asoil amount signal which indicates a held soil amount of the workimplement is acquired in a third step. An intermediate design topographythat is positioned above the actual topography and below the finaldesign topography is determined in accordance with the soil amount in afourth step. A command signal to move the work implement on the basis ofthe intermediate design topography is generated in a fifth step.

A work vehicle according to a third aspect is provided with a workimplement and a controller. The controller acquires actual topographyinformation. The actual topography information indicates the actualtopography of a work target. The controller acquires design topographyinformation. The design topography information indicates a final designtopography of the work target. The controller acquires a soil amountsignal which indicates a held soil amount of the work implement. Thecontroller determines an intermediate design topography that ispositioned above the actual topography and below the final designtopography in accordance with the soil amount. The controller controlsthe work implement on the basis of the intermediate design topography.

According to the present invention, a work implement is automaticallycontrolled so as to move to a position above an actual topography. Atthis time, the work implement is moved to a position below the finaldesign topography whereby soil can be piled thinly on the actualtopography in comparison to a case of moving the work implement alongthe final design topography. As a result, the piled up soil can beeasily compacted by the work vehicle. Accordingly, the quality of thefinished work can be improved. Moreover, work efficiency can beimproved. Furthermore, the intermediate design topography is determinedin response to the held soil amount of the work implement. As a result,an excess or lack of soil can be limited and work efficiency can beimproved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of a work vehicle according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a drive system and a control system of thework vehicle.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a configuration of the work vehicle.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of an actual topography, a final designtopography, and an intermediate design topography during filling work.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating automatic control processing of thework implement during filling work.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example of actual topography information.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating processing for determining theintermediate design topography.

FIG. 8 illustrates processing for determining a bottom height.

FIG. 9 illustrates a first upper limit height, a first lower limitheight, a second upper limit height, and a second lower limit height.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating processing for determining a pitchangle the intermediate design topography.

FIG. 11 illustrates processing for determining a first upper limitangle.

FIG. 12 illustrates processing for determining a first lower limitangle.

FIG. 13 illustrates processing for determining a shortest distanceangle.

FIG. 14 illustrates processing for determining a shortest distanceangle.

FIG. 15 illustrates processing for determining a shortest distanceangle.

FIG. 16 illustrates an intermediate design topography according to afirst modified example.

FIG. 17 illustrates an intermediate design topography according to asecond modified example.

FIG. 18 is a block diagram of a configuration of the control systemaccording to another embodiment.

FIG. 19 is a block diagram of a configuration of the control systemaccording to another embodiment.

FIG. 20 illustrates conventional filling work.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT(S)

A work vehicle according to an embodiment shall be explained in detailwith reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view of the workvehicle 1 according to an embodiment. The work vehicle 1 is a bulldozeraccording to the present embodiment. The work vehicle 1 is provided witha vehicle body 11, a travel device 12, and a work implement 13.

The vehicle body 11 has an operating cabin 14 and an engine compartment15. An operator's seat that is not illustrated is disposed inside theoperating cabin 14. The engine compartment 15 is disposed in front ofthe operating cabin 14. The travel device 12 is attached to a bottompart of the vehicle body 11. The travel device 12 has a pair of left andright crawler belts 16. Only the right crawler belt 16 is illustrated inFIG. 1. The work vehicle 1 travels due to the rotation of the crawlerbelts 16.

The work implement 13 is attached to the vehicle body 11. The workimplement 13 has a lift frame 17, a blade 18, a lift cylinder 19, anangle cylinder 20, and a tilt cylinder 21.

The lift frame 17 is attached to the vehicle body 11 in a manner thatallows movement up and down centered on an axis X that extends in thevehicle width direction. The lift frame 17 supports the blade 18. Theblade 18 is disposed in front of the vehicle body 11. The blade 18 movesup and down accompanying the up and down motions of the lift frame 17.

The lift cylinder 19 is coupled to the vehicle body 11 and the liftframe 17. Due to the extension and contraction of the lift cylinder 19,the lift frame 17 rotates up and down centered on the axis X.

The angle cylinder 20 is coupled to the lift frame 17 and the blade 18.Due to the extension and contraction of the angle cylinder 20, the blade18 rotates around an axis Y that extends in roughly the up-downdirection.

The tilt cylinder 21 is coupled to the lift frame 17 and the blade 18.Due to the extension and contraction of the tilt cylinder 21, the blade18 rotates around an axis Z that extends in roughly the front-backdirection of the vehicle.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a drive system2 and a control system 3 of the work vehicle 1. As illustrated in FIG.2, the drive system 2 is provided with an engine 22, a hydraulic pump23, and a power transmission device 24.

The hydraulic pump 23 is driven by the engine 22 to discharge operatingfluid. The operating fluid discharged from the hydraulic pump 23 issupplied to the lift cylinder 19, the angle cylinder 20, and the tiltcylinder 21. While only one hydraulic pump 23 is illustrated in FIG. 2,a plurality of hydraulic pumps may be provided.

The power transmission device 24 transmits driving power from the engine22 to the travel device 12. The power transmission device 24, forexample, may be a hydrostatic transmission (HST). Alternatively, thepower transmission device 24, for example, may be a transmission havinga torque converter or a plurality of speed change gears.

The control system 3 is provided with an operating device 25, acontroller 26, and a control valve 27. The operating device 25 is adevice for operating the work implement 13 and the travel device 12. Theoperating device 25 is disposed in the operating cabin 4. The operatingdevice 25 receives operations from an operator for driving the workimplement 13 and the travel device 12, and outputs operation signals inaccordance with the operations. The operating device 25 includes, forexample, an operating lever, a pedal, and a switch and the like.

The controller 26 is programmed to control the work vehicle 1 on thebasis of acquired information. The controller 26 includes, for example,a processor such as a CPU. The controller 26 acquires operation signalsfrom the operating device 25. The controller 26 controls the controlvalve 27 on the basis of the operation signals. The controller 26 is notlimited to one component and may be divided into a plurality ofcontrollers.

The control valve 27 is a proportional control valve and is controlledby command signals from the controller 26. The control valve 27 isdisposed between the hydraulic pump 23 and hydraulic actuators such asthe lift cylinder 19, the angle cylinder 20, and the tilt cylinder 21.The amount of the operating fluid supplied from the hydraulic pump 23 tothe lift cylinder 19, the angle cylinder 20, and the tilt cylinder 21 iscontrolled by the control valve 27. The controller 26 generates acommand signal to the control valve 27 so that the work implement 13acts in accordance with the abovementioned operations of the operatingdevice 25. As a result, the lift cylinder 19, the angle cylinder 20, andthe tilt cylinder 21 and the like are controlled in response to theoperation amount of the operating device 25. The control valve 27 may bea pressure proportional control valve. Alternatively, the control valve27 may be an electromagnetic proportional control valve.

The control system 3 is provided with a lift cylinder sensor 29. Thelift cylinder sensor 29 detects the stroke length (referred to below as“lift cylinder length L”) of the lift cylinder 19. As depicted in FIG.3, the controller 26 calculates a lift angle θlift of the blade 18 onthe basis of the lift cylinder length L. FIG. 3 is a schematic view of aconfiguration of the work vehicle 1.

The origin position of the work implement 13 is depicted as a chaindouble-dashed line in FIG. 3. The origin position of the work implement13 is the position of the blade 18 while the tip of the blade 18 is incontact with the ground surface on a horizontal ground surface. The liftangle θlift is the angle from the origin position of the work implement13.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the control system 3 is provided with aposition detection device 31. The position detection device 31 detectsthe position of the work vehicle 1. The position detection device 31 isprovided with a GNSS receiver 32 and an IMU 33. The GNSS receiver 32 isdisposed on the operating cabin 14. The GNSS receiver 32 is, forexample, an antenna for a global positioning system (GPS). The GNSSreceiver 32 receives vehicle position information which indicates theposition of the work vehicle 1. The controller 26 acquires the vehicleposition information from the GNSS receiver 32.

The IMU 33 is an inertial measurement unit. The IMU 33 acquires vehicleinclination angle information. The vehicle inclination angle informationincludes the angle (pitch angle) relative to horizontal in the vehiclefront-back direction and the angle (roll angle) relative to horizontalin the vehicle lateral direction. The IMU 33 transmits the vehicleinclination angle information to the controller 26. The controller 26acquires the vehicle inclination angle information from the IMU 33.

The controller 26 computes a blade tip position P1 from the liftcylinder length L, the vehicle position information, and the vehicleinclination angle information. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the controller26 calculates global coordinates of the GNSS receiver 32 on the basis ofthe vehicle position information. The controller 26 calculates the liftangle θM on the basis of the lift cylinder length L. The controller 26calculates local coordinates of the blade tip position P1 with respectto the GNSS receiver 32 on the basis of the lift angle θM and vehicledimension information. The vehicle dimension information is stored inthe storage device 28 and indicates the position of the work implement13 with respect to the GNSS receiver 32. The controller 26 calculatesthe global coordinates of the blade tip position P1 on the basis of theglobal coordinates of the GNSS receiver 32, the local coordinates of theblade tip position P1, and the vehicle inclination angle information.The controller 26 acquires the global coordinates of the blade tipposition P1 as blade tip position information.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the control system 3 is provided with a soilamount acquisition device 34. The soil amount acquisition device 34acquires soil amount information which indicates the amount of soil heldby the work implement 13. The soil amount acquisition device 34generates a soil amount signal which indicates the soil amountinformation and sends the soil amount signal to the controller 26. Inthe present embodiment, the soil amount information indicates thetractive force of the work vehicle 1. The controller 26 calculates theheld soil amount from the tractive force of the work vehicle 1. Forexample, in the work vehicle 1 provided with the HST, the soil amountacquisition device 34 is a sensor for detecting the hydraulic pressure(driving hydraulic pressure) supplied to the hydraulic motor of the HST.In this case, the controller 26 calculates the tractive force from thedriving hydraulic pressure and calculates the held soil amount from thecalculated tractive force.

Alternatively, the soil amount acquisition device 34 may be a surveydevice that detects a change in the actual topography. In this case, thecontroller 26 may calculate the held soil amount from the change in theactual topography. Alternatively, the soil amount acquisition device 34may be a camera that acquires image information of the soil carried bythe work implement 13. In this case, the controller 26 may calculate theheld soil amount from the image information.

The control system 3 is provided with a storage device 28. The storagedevice 28 includes, for example, a memory and an auxiliary storagedevice. The storage device 28 may be a RAM or a ROM, for example. Thestorage device 28 may be a semiconductor memory or a hard disk and thelike.

The storage device 28 stores design topography information. The designtopography information indicates the position and the shape of a finaldesign topography. The final design topography indicates a targettopography of a work target at the work site. The controller 26 acquiresactual topography information. The actual topography informationindicates the position and shape of the actual topography of the worktarget at the work site. The controller 26 automatically controls thework implement 13 on the basis of the actual topography information, thedesign topography information, and the blade tip position information.

Automatic control of the work implement 13 during filling work andexecuted by the controller 26 will be explained below. FIG. 4 depicts anexample of a final design topography 60 and an actual topography 50positioned below the final design topography 60. During filling work,the work vehicle 1 piles up and compacts the soil on top of the actualtopography 50 positioned below the final design topography 60, wherebythe work target is formed so as to become the final design topography60.

The controller 26 acquires actual topography information which indicatesthe actual topography 50. For example, the controller 26 acquiresposition information which indicates the locus of the blade tip positionP1 as the actual topography information. Therefore, the positiondetection device 31 functions as an actual topography acquisition devicefor acquiring the actual topography information.

Alternatively, the controller 26 may calculate the position of thebottom surface of the crawler belt 16 from the vehicle positioninformation and the vehicle dimension information, and may acquire theposition information which indicates the locus of the bottom surface ofthe crawler belt 16 as the actual topography information. Alternatively,the actual topography information may be generated from survey datameasured by a survey device outside of the work vehicle 1.Alternatively, the actual topography 50 may be imaged by a camera andthe actual topography information may be generated from image dataacquired by the camera.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the final design topography 60 is horizontaland flat in the present embodiment. However, a portion or all of thefinal design topography 60 may be inclined. In FIG. 4, the height of thefinal design topography in the range from −d2 to 0 is the same as theheight of the actual topography 50.

The controller 26 determines an intermediate design topography 70 thatis positioned between the actual topography 50 and the final designtopography 60. In FIG. 4, a plurality of the intermediate designtopographies 70 are indicated by dashed lines; however, only a portionthereof is given the reference numeral “70.” As illustrated in FIG. 4,the intermediate design topography 70 is positioned above the actualtopography 50 and below the final design topography 60. The controller26 determines the intermediate design topography 70 on the basis of theactual topography information, the design topography information, andthe soil amount information.

The intermediate design topography 70 is set to the position of apredetermined distance D1 above the actual topography 50. The controller26 determines the next intermediate design topography 70 at the positionof the predetermined distance D1 above the updated actual topography 50each time the actual topography 50 is updated. As a result, theplurality of intermediate design topographies 70 which are stacked onthe actual topography 50 are generated as illustrated in FIG. 4. Theprocessing for determining the intermediate design topography 70 isexplained in detail below.

The controller 26 controls the work implement 13 on the basis ofintermediate topography information which indicates the intermediatedesign topography 70 and blade tip position information which indicatesthe blade tip position P1. Specifically, the controller 26 generatescommand signals for the work implement 13 so as to move the blade tipposition P1 of the work implement 13 along the intermediate designtopography 70.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart depicting automatic control processing of thework implement 13 during filling work. As illustrated in FIG. 5, thecontroller 26 acquires the current position information in step S101. Asillustrated in FIG. 6, the controller 26 acquires the height Hm_−1 of anintermediate design surface 70_−1 that is one position before thepreviously determined reference position P0, and a pitch angle θm_−1 ofthe intermediate design surface 70_−1.

However, during the initial state of the filling work, the controller 26acquires the height of the actual surface 50_4 which is one surfacebefore the reference position P0 in place of the height Hm_−1 of theintermediate design topography 70_−1 that is one position before thepreviously determined reference position P0. During the initial state ofthe filling work, the controller 26 acquires the pitch angle of theactual surface 50_4 which is one surface before the reference positionP0 in place of the pitch angle θm_−1 of the intermediate designtopography 70_4 that is one position before the previously determinedreference position P0. The initial state of the filling work can be astate when the work vehicle is switched, for example, from reversetravel to forward travel.

In step S102, the controller 26 acquires the actual topographyinformation. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the actual topography 50 includesa plurality of actual surfaces 50_1 to 50_10 which are divided by apredetermined interval d1 from the predetermined reference position P0in the traveling direction of the work vehicle 1. The reference positionP0 is the position where the actual topography 50 starts to slopedownward from the final design topography 60 in the traveling directionof the work vehicle 1. In other words, the reference position P0 is theposition where the height of actual topography 50 starts to becomesmaller than the height of the final design topography 60 in thetraveling direction of the work vehicle 1. Alternatively, the referenceposition P0 is a position in front of the work vehicle 1 by apredetermined distance. Alternatively, the reference position P0 is thecurrent position of the blade tip position P1 of the work vehicle 1.Alternatively, the reference position P0 may be a position at the top ofthe slope of the actual topography 50. In FIG. 6, the vertical axisindicates the height of the topography and the horizontal axis indicatesthe distance from the reference position P0.

The actual topography information includes the position information ofthe actual surfaces 50_1 to 50_10 for each predetermined interval d1from the reference position P0 in the traveling direction of the workvehicle 1. That is, the actual topography information includes theposition information of the actual surfaces 50_1 to 50_10 from thereference position P0 as far forward as the predetermined distance d10.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the controller 26 acquires the heights Ha_1 toHa_10 of the actual surfaces 50_1 to 50_10 as the actual topographyinformation. In the present embodiment, the actual surfaces acquired asthe actual topography information include up to ten actual surfaces;however, the number of actual surfaces may be more than ten or less thanten.

In step S103, the controller 26 acquires the design topographyinformation. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the final design topography 60includes a plurality of final design surfaces 60_1 to 60_10. Therefore,the design topography information includes the position information ofthe final design surfaces 60_1 to 60_10 at each predetermined intervald1 in the traveling direction of the work vehicle 1. That is, the designtopography information includes the position information of the finaldesign surfaces 60_1 to 60_10 from the reference position P0 as farforward as the predetermined distance d10.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the controller 26 acquires the heights HU toHf_10 of the final design surfaces 60_1 to 60_10 as the designtopography information. In the present embodiment, the number of finaldesign surfaces acquired as the design topography information includesup to ten final design surfaces; however, the number of final designsurfaces may be more than ten or less than ten.

In step S104, the controller 26 acquires the soil amount information. Inthis case, the controller 26 acquires the current held soil amount Vs_0.The held soil amount Vs_0 is represented, for example, as a ratio withrespect to the capacity of the blade 18.

In step S105, the controller 26 determines the intermediate designtopography 70. The controller 26 determines the intermediate designtopography 70 from the actual topography information, the designtopography information, the soil amount information, and the currentposition information. The processing for determining the intermediatedesign topography 70 is explained in detail below.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart depicting processing for determining theintermediate design topography 70. In step S201, the controller 26determines a bottom height Hbottom. In this case, the controller 26determines the bottom height Hbottom so that the bottom soil amountcoincides with the held soil amount.

As illustrated in FIG. 8, the bottom soil amount represents the amountof soil piled below the bottom height Hbottom and above the actualsurface 50. For example, the controller 26 calculates the bottom heightHbottom from the product of the total of bottom lengths Lb_4 to Lb_10and the predetermined distance d1, and from the held soil amount. Thebottom lengths Lb_4 to Lb_10 represent the distance from the actualtopography 50 upwards to the bottom height Hbottom.

In step S202, the controller 26 determines a first upper limit heightHup1. The first upper limit height Hup1 defines an upper limit of theheight of the intermediate design topography 70. However, theintermediate design topography 70 may be determined to be positionedabove the first upper limit height Hup1 in response to other conditions.The first upper limit height Hup1 is defined using the followingequation 1.Hup1=MIN(final design topography, actual topography+D1)  (Equation 1)Therefore as illustrated in FIG. 9, the first upper limit height Hup1 ispositioned below the final design topography 60 and above the actualtopography 50 by a predetermined distance D1. The predetermined distanceD1 is the thickness of the piled soil to a degree that the piled soilcan be appropriately compacted by the work vehicle 1 traveling one timeover the piled soil.

In step S203, the controller 26 determines a first lower limit heightHlow1. The first lower limit height Hlow1 defines a lower limit of theheight of the intermediate design topography 70. However, theintermediate design topography 70 may be determined to be positionedbelow the first lower limit height Hlow1 in response to otherconditions. The first lower limit height Hlow1 is defined using thefollowing equation 2.Hlow1=MIN(final design topography, MAX(actual topography,bottom))  (Equation 2)Therefore as illustrated in FIG. 9, when the actual topography 50 ispositioned below the final design topography 60 and above theabovementioned bottom height Hbottom, the first lower limit height Hlow1coincides with the actual topography 50. Additionally, when the bottomheight Hbottom is positioned below the final design topography 60 andabove the actual topography 50, the first lower limit height Hlow1coincides with the bottom height Hbottom.

The controller 26 determines a second upper limit height Hup2 in stepS204. The second upper limit height Hup2 defines an upper limit of theheight of the intermediate design topography 70. The second upper limitheight Hup2 is defined using the following equation 3.Hup2=MIN(final design topography, MAX(actual topography+D2,bottom))  (Equation 3)Therefore as illustrated in FIG. 9, the second upper limit height Hup2is positioned below the final design topography 60 and above the actualtopography 50 by a predetermined distance D2. The predetermined distanceD2 is larger than the predetermined distance D1.

In step S205, the controller 26 determines a second lower limit heightHlow2. The second lower limit height Hlow2 defines a lower limit of theheight of the intermediate design topography 70. The second lower limitheight Hlow2 is defined using the following equation 4.Hlow2=MIN(final design topography−D3, MAX(actual topography−D3,bottom))  (Equation 4)

Therefore as illustrated in FIG. 9, the second lower limit height Hlow2is positioned below the final design topography 60 by a predetermineddistance D3. The second lower limit height Hlow2 is positioned below thefirst lower limit height Hlow1 by the predetermined distance D3.

In step S206, the controller 26 determines the pitch angle ofintermediate design topography. As illustrated in FIG. 4, theintermediate design topography includes the plurality of intermediatedesign surfaces 70_1 to 70_10 separated from each other by thepredetermined distance d1. The controller 26 determines the pitch anglefor each of the plurality of intermediate design surfaces 70_1 to 70_10.The intermediate design topography 70 illustrated in FIG. 4 hasdifferent pitch angles for the respective intermediate design surfaces70_1 to 70_4. In this case, the intermediate design topography 70 has ashape that is bent at a plurality of locations as illustrated in FIG. 4.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart depicting processing for determining the pitchangles of the intermediate design topography 70. The controller 26determines the pitch angle of the intermediate design surface 70_1 thatis one position ahead the reference position P0 by using the processingillustrated in FIG. 10.

In step S301, the controller 26 determines a first upper limit angleθup1 as illustrated in FIG. 10. The first upper limit angle θup1 definesan upper limit of the pitch angle of the intermediate design topography70. However, the pitch angle of the intermediate design topography 70may be larger than the first upper limit angle θup1 in response to otherconditions.

As illustrated in FIG. 11, the first upper limit angle θup1 is the pitchangle of the intermediate design surface 70_1 so that the intermediatedesign surface 70_1 does not exceed the first upper limit height Hup1 upto the distance d10 when the pitch angle of the intermediate designtopography 70 is set to the degree (previous degree−A1) for eachinterval d1. The first upper limit angle θup1 is determined as indicatedbelow.

When the pitch angle of the intermediate design topography 70 is set asthe degree (previous degree−A1) at each interval d1, the pitch angle θnof the intermediate design surface 70_1 is determined using thefollowing equation 5 such that the nth ahead intermediate design surface70_n is equal to or less than the first upper limit height Hup1.θn=(Hup1_n−Hm_−1+A1*(n*(n−1)/2))/n  (Equation 5)Hup1_n is the first upper limit height Hup1 at the nth aheadintermediate design surface 70_n. Hm_−1 is the height of theintermediate design surface 70_4 which is one position behind thereference position P0. A1 is a predetermined constant. θn values aredetermined from n=1 to 10 using equation 5, and the minimum θn value isselected as the first upper limit angle θup1. In FIG. 11, the minimum θnvalue from n=1 to 10 becomes the pitch angle θ2 that does not exceed thefirst upper limit height Hup1 at the distance d2 in front of thereference position P0. In this case, θ2 is selected as the first upperlimit angle θup1.

However, when the selected first upper limit angle θup1 is larger than apredetermined change upper limit θlimit1, the change upper limit θlimit1is selected as the first upper limit angle θup1. The change upper limitθlimit1 is a threshold for limiting the change in the pitch angle fromthe previous pitch angle to +A1 or less.

In the present embodiment, while the pitch angle is determined on thebasis of the intermediate design surfaces 70_1 to 70_10 as far as tenpositions in front of the reference position P0, the number ofintermediate design surfaces used in the computation of the pitch angleis not limited to ten and may be more than ten or less than ten.

In step S302, the controller 26 determines a first lower limit angleθlow1. The first lower limit angle θlow1 defines a lower limit of thepitch angle of the intermediate design topography 70. However, the pitchangle of the intermediate design topography 70 may be less than thefirst lower limit angle θlow1 in response to other conditions. Asillustrated in FIG. 12, the first lower limit angle θlow1 is the pitchangle of the intermediate design surface 70_1 so that the intermediatedesign surface 70_1 does not fall below the first lower limit heightHlow1 as far forward as the distance d10 when the pitch angle of theintermediate design topography 70 is set to the degree (previousdegree−A1) for each interval d1. The first lower limit angle θlow1 isdetermined as indicated below.

When the pitch angle of the intermediate design topography 70 is set asthe degree (previous degree+A1) at each interval d1, one pitch angle θnin front is determined using the following equation 6 such that the nthahead intermediate design surface 70_n is equal to or greater than thefirst lower limit height Hlow1.θn=(Hlow1_n−Hm_−1−A1*(n*(n−1)/2))/n  (Equation 6)Hlow1_n is the first lower limit height Hlow1 with respect to the nthahead intermediate design surface 70_n. θn values are determined fromn=1 to 10 using equation 6, and the maximum of the θn values is selectedas the first lower limit angle θlow1. In FIG. 12, the maximum of the θnvalues from n=1 to 10 becomes the pitch angle θ3 that does not exceedthe first upper limit height Hup1 at the distance d3 in front of thereference position P0. In this case, θ3 is selected as the first lowerlimit angle θlow1.

However, when the selected first lower limit angle θlow1 is smaller thana predetermined change lower limit θlimit2, the change lower limitθlimit2 is selected as the first lower limit angle θlow1. The changelower limit θlimit2 is a threshold for limiting a change in the pitchangle from the previous pitch angle to −A1 or greater.

In step S303, the controller 26 determines a second upper limit angleθup2. The second upper limit angle θup2 defines an upper limit of thepitch angle of the intermediate design topography 70. The second upperlimit angle θup2 is the pitch angle of the intermediate design surface70_1 so that the intermediate design surface 70_1 does not exceed thesecond upper limit height Hup2 as far forward as the distance d10 whenthe pitch angle of the intermediate design topography 70 is set to thedegree (previous degree−A1) for each interval d1. The second upper limitangle θup2 is determined in the same way as the first upper limit angleθup1 with the following equation 7.θn=(Hup2_n−Hm_−1+A1*(n*(n−1)/2))/n  (Equation 7)Hup2_n is the second upper limit height Hup2 with respect to the nthahead intermediate design surface 70_n. θn values are determined fromn=1 to 10 using equation 7, and the minimum θn value is selected as thesecond upper limit angle θup2.

In step S304, the controller 26 determines a second lower limit angleθlow2. The second lower limit angle θlow2 defines a lower limit of thepitch angle of the intermediate design topography 70. The second lowerlimit angle θlow2 is the pitch angle of the intermediate design surfaceone position in front of the reference position P0 so as not to fallbelow the second lower limit height Hlow2 second lower limit heightHlow2 as far forward as the distance d10 when the pitch angle of theintermediate design topography 70 is set to the degree (previousdegree+A2) for each interval d1. The angle A2 is larger than theabovementioned angle A1. The second lower limit angle θlow2 is definedusing the following equation 8 in the same way as the first lower limitangle θlow1.θn=(Hlow2_n−Hm_−1−A2*(n*(n−1)/2))/n  (Equation 8)Hlow2_n is the second lower limit height Hlow2 with respect to the nthahead intermediate design surface 70_n. A2 is a predetermined constant.θn values are determined from n=1 to 10 using equation 8, and themaximum θn value is selected as the second lower limit angle θlow2.

However, when the selected second lower limit angle θlow2 is smallerthan a predetermined change lower limit θlimit3, the change lower limitθlimit3 is selected as the first lower limit angle θlow1. The changelower limit θlimit3 is a threshold for limiting the change in the pitchangle from the previous pitch angle to −A2 or greater.

In step S305, the controller 26 determines a shortest distance angle θs.As illustrated in FIG. 13, the shortest distance angle θs is the pitchangle of the intermediate design topography 70 that has the shortestintermediate design topography 70 length between the first upper limitheight Hup1 and the first lower limit height Hlow1. For example, theshortest distance angle θs is determined using the following equation 9.θs=MAX(θlow1_1,MIN(θup1_1,MAX(θlow1_2,MIN(θup1_2, . . . MAX(θlow1_n,MIN(θup1_n, . . . MAX(θlow1_10,MIN(θup1_10,θm_−1))) . . .)))  (Equation 9)As illustrated in FIG. 14, θlow1_n is the pitch angle of a straight linethat connects the reference position P0 and the nth ahead first lowerlimit height Hlow1 (four in front in FIG. 14). θup1_n is the pitch angleof a straight line that connects the reference position P0 and the nthahead first upper limit height Hup1. θm_−1 is the pitch angle of theintermediate design surface 70_4 which is one position in front of thereference position P0. Equation 9 can be represented as indicated inFIG. 15.

In step S306, the controller 26 determines whether predetermined pitchangle change conditions are satisfied. The pitch angle change conditionsare conditions which indicate that an intermediate design topography 70is formed so as to be inclined by an angle −A1 or greater. That is, thepitch angle change conditions indicate that a gradually slopedintermediate design topography 70 has been generated.

Specifically, the pitch angle change condition includes the followingfirst to third change conditions. The first change condition is that theshortest distance angle θs is an angle −A1 or greater. The second changecondition is that the shortest distance angle θs is greater thanθlow1_1. The third change condition is that θlow1_1 is an angle −A1 orgreater. When all of the first to third conditions are satisfied, thecontroller 26 determines that the pitch angle change conditions aresatisfied.

The routine advances to step S307 if the pitch angle change conditionsare not satisfied. In step S307, the controller 26 determines theshortest distance angle θs derived in step S306 as a target pitch angleθt.

The routine advances to step S308 if the pitch angle change conditionsare satisfied. In step S308, the controller 26 determines θlow1_1 as thetarget pitch angle θt. θlow1_1 is the pitch angle that follows the firstlower limit height Hlow1.

In step S309, the controller 26 determines a command pitch angle. Thecontroller 26 determines a command pitch angle θc using the followingequation 10.θc=MAX(θlow2,MIN(θup2,MAX(θlow1,MIN(θup1,θt))))  (Equation 10)The command pitch angle determined as indicated above is determined asthe pitch angle of the intermediate design surface 70_1 in step S206 inFIG. 7. As a result, the intermediate design topography 70 is determinedin step S105 in FIG. 5. That is, the intermediate design surface 70_1that fulfills the abovementioned command pitch angle is determined forthe intermediate design topography 70 at the reference position P0.

As illustrated in FIG. 5, the controller 26 generates a command signalfor the work implement 13 in step S106. In this case, the controller 26generates a command signal for the work implement 13 so as to move theblade tip position P1 of the work implement 13 along the determinedintermediate design topography 70. In addition, the controller 26generates a command signal for the work implement 13 so that the bladetip position P1 of the work implement 13 does not go above the finaldesign topography 60. The generated command signals are input to thecontrol valve 27. Consequently, the work implement 13 is controlled sothat the blade tip position P1 of the work implement 13 moves along theintermediate design topography 70.

The processing depicted in FIG. 5, FIG. 7 and FIG. 10 is repeated andthe controller 26 acquires new actual topography information and thesoil amount signal and updates the actual topography information and thesoil amount signal. For example, the controller 26 may acquire andupdate the actual topography information and the soil amount signal inreal time. Alternatively, the controller 26 may acquire and update theactual topography information and the soil amount signal when apredetermined action is carried out.

The controller 26 determines the next intermediate design topography 70on the basis of the updated actual topography information and theupdated soil amount signal. The work vehicle 1 then moves the workimplement 13 along the intermediate design topography 70 while travelingforward again, and upon reaching a certain position, the work vehicle 1travels backward and returns. The work vehicle 1 repeats the aboveactions whereby the soil is repeatedly stacked on the actual topography50. Consequently, the actual topography 50 is gradually piled up and asa result the final design topography 60 is formed.

The intermediate design topography 70 is determined as illustrated inFIG. 4 as a result of the above processing. Specifically, theintermediate design topography 70 is determined so as to conform to thefollowing conditions.

(1) The first condition is that the intermediate design topography 70 islower than the first upper limit height Hup1. According to the firstcondition, the intermediate design topography 70 can be determined thatis stacked on the actual topography 50 with a thickness within thepredetermined distance D1 as illustrated in FIG. 4. As a result, thestacked thickness of the piled soil can be held to within D1 so long asthere are no constraints due to other conditions. As a result, thevehicle does not have to repeatedly travel over the piled soil tocompact the piled soil. Consequently, work efficiency can be improved.

(2) The second condition is that the intermediate design topography 70is higher than the first lower limit height Hlow1. According to thesecond condition, scraping away of the actual topography 50 can besuppressed so long as there are no constraints due to other conditions.

(3) The third condition is that the intermediate design topography 70approaches the first lower limit height Hlow1 while the pitch angle ofthe intermediate design topography 70 at each interval d1 is limited tobe equal to or less than an angle of (previous angle −A1). According tothe third condition, the change de of the pitch angle in the downwarddirection can be limited to be equal to or less than the angle A1. As aresult, a sudden change in the attitude of the vehicle body can beprevented and the work can be performed at a high speed. As a result,work efficiency can be improved. In particular, the inclination angle ofthe intermediate design topography 70 near the top of the slope isgentler and a change of the attitude of the work vehicle 1 at the top ofthe slope can be reduced.

(4) The fourth condition is that the pitch angle intermediate designtopography 70 is greater than the first lower limit angle θlow1.According to the fourth condition, the change dθ of the pitch angle inthe upward direction can be limited to be equal to or less than theangle A1. As a result, a sudden change in the attitude of the vehiclebody 11 can be prevented and the work can be performed at a high speed.As a result, work efficiency can be improved. In particular, theinclination angle of the intermediate design topography 70 near thebottom of the slope can be gentler. Furthermore, scraping away of theactual topography 50 can be suppressed below the first lower limitheight Hlow1 when the intermediate design topography 70 is set below thefirst lower limit height Hlow1 due to modification of the pitch angle.

(5) The fifth condition is that the shortest distance angle θs isselected as the pitch angle of the intermediate design topography 70when the shortest distance angle θs is greater than the first lowerlimit angle θlow1. According to the fifth condition, the bending pointsof the intermediate design topography 70 can be reduced each time thestacking is repeated, and the maximum inclination angle of theintermediate design topography 70 can be gentler as illustrated in FIG.4. As a result, a gradually smoother intermediate design topography canbe generated each time stacking is repeated.

(6) The sixth condition is that θlow1_1 along the first lower limitheight Hlow1 is selected as the pitch angle of the intermediate designtopography 70 when the pitch angle change conditions are satisfied.After a gently sloped surface at the inclination angle A1 is formed infront of the work vehicle 1 on the actual topography 50′ as illustratedin FIG. 4 as a result of the fifth condition, the filling of the actualtopography 50′ at the back of the inclined surface can be prioritized.

(7) The seventh condition is that the bottom height Hbottom isdetermined so that the bottom soil amount coincides with the held soilamount. According to the seventh condition, the controller 26 changesthe predetermined distance D1 from the actual topography 50 to theintermediate design topography 70 in response to the held soil amount.The stacking thickness of the piled soil can thereby be modified inresponse to the held soil amount. As a result, the soil remaining on theblade 18 can be reduced without using the piled soil.

(8) The eighth condition is that the pitch angle intermediate designtopography 70 is less than the second upper limit angle θup2. Accordingto the eighth condition, the maximum stacked thickness can be suppressedto be equal to or less than D2 as illustrated in FIG. 4.

When the actual topography is steep due to the pitch angle of theintermediate design topography 70 being reduced more than the secondupper limit angle θup2, the intermediate design surface 70 is determinedso as to scrape away the top of the slope as illustrated in FIG. 4.

(9) The ninth condition is that the pitch angle intermediate designtopography 70 is greater than the second lower limit angle θlow2. Evenif the pitch angle is lowered according to the eighth condition,excessive scraping away of the actual topography 50 is suppressed due tothe ninth condition.

As explained above, the work implement 13 is automatically controlled bythe control system 3 of the work vehicle 1 according to the presentembodiment, so that the work implement 13 moves to a position above theactual topography 50. At this time, the work implement 13 is moved to aposition below the final design topography 60 whereby soil can be piledthinly on the actual topography 50 in comparison to a case of moving thework implement 13 along the final design topography 60. As a result, thepiled up soil can be easily compacted by the work vehicle 1.Accordingly, the quality of the finished work can be improved. Moreover,work efficiency can be improved.

Furthermore, the intermediate design topography is determined inaccordance with the held soil amount of the work implement 13. As aresult, an excess or lack of soil while working can be limited and thework can be carried out efficiently.

Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described sofar, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment andvarious modifications may be made within the scope of the invention.

The work vehicle is not limited to a bulldozer, and may be another typeof work vehicle such as a wheel loader or the like.

The processing for determining the intermediate design topography is notlimited to the processing described above and may be modified. Forexample, a portion of the aforementioned first to ninth conditions maybe modified or omitted. Alternatively, a different condition may beadded to the first to ninth conditions. For example, FIG. 16 illustratesan intermediate design topography 70 according to a first modifiedexample. As illustrated in FIG. 16, a layered intermediate designtopography 70 may be generated that follows the actual topography 50.

In the above embodiment, the actual topography 50 is sloped so as todrop downward in the forward direction from the reference position P0.However, the actual topography 50 may be sloped so as to rise up in theforward direction from the reference position P0. For example, FIG. 17illustrates an intermediate design topography 70 according to a secondmodified example. As illustrated in FIG. 17, the actual topography 50may be sloped so as to rise up in the forward direction from thereference position P0. In this case as well, the controller maydetermine the intermediate design topography 70 to be positioned abovethe actual topography 50 and below the final design topography 60 asillustrated in FIG. 17. As a result, the work implement 13 isautomatically controlled so that the blade tip of the work implement 13moves to a position in between the actual topography 50 and the finaldesign topography 60 and higher than the actual topography 50 by thepredetermined distance D1.

The controller may have a plurality of controllers separated from eachother. For example as illustrated in FIG. 18, the controller may includea first controller (remote controller) 261 disposed outside of the workvehicle 1 and a second controller (on-board controller) 262 mounted onthe work vehicle 1. The first controller 261 and the second controller262 may be able to communicate wirelessly via communication devices 38,39. A portion of the abovementioned functions of the controller 26 maybe executed by the first controller 261, and the remaining functions maybe executed by the second controller 262. For example, the processingfor determining a virtual design surface 70 may be performed by theremote controller 261. That is, the processing from steps S101 to S105illustrated in FIG. 5 may be performed by the first controller 261.Additionally, the processing (step S106) to output the command signalsto the work implement 13 may be performed by the second controller 262.

The work vehicle may be remotely operated. In this case, a portion ofthe control system may be disposed outside of the work vehicle. Forexample, the controller may be disposed outside the work vehicle 1. Thecontroller may be disposed inside a control center separated from thework site. The operating devices may also be disposed outside of thework vehicle. In this case, the operating cabin may be omitted from thework vehicle. Alternatively, the operating devices may be omitted. Thework vehicle may be operated with only the automatic control by thecontroller without operations by the operating devices.

The actual topography acquisition device is not limited to theabovementioned position detection device 31 and may be another device.For example, as illustrated in FIG. 19, the actual topographyacquisition device may be an interface device 37 that receivesinformation from external devices. The interface device 37 maywirelessly receive actual topography information measured by an externalmeasurement device 41. Alternatively, the interface device 37 may be arecording medium reading device and may receive the actual topographyinformation measured by the external measurement device 41 via arecording medium.

According to the present invention, there are provided a control systemfor a work vehicle, a control method, and a work vehicle that enablefilling work that is efficient and exhibits a quality finish usingautomatic controls.

What is claimed is:
 1. A control system for a work vehicle having a workimplement, the control system comprising: an actual topographyacquisition device that acquires actual topography information, whichindicates an actual topography of a work target; a storage device thatstores design topography information, which indicates a final designtopography that is a target topography of the work target; a soil amountacquisition device that generates a soil amount signal, which indicatesa held soil amount of the work implement; and a controller configured toacquire the actual topography information from the actual topographyacquisition device, acquire the design topography information from thestorage device, acquire the soil amount signal from the soil amountacquisition device and calculate the held soil amount, determine anintermediate design topography that is positioned above the actualtopography and below the final design topography based on the held soilamount, and generate a command signal to move the work implement basedon the intermediate design topography.
 2. The control system for a workvehicle according to claim 1, wherein the controller is furtherconfigured to change a distance between the actual topography and theintermediate design topography in accordance with the held soil amount.3. The control system for a work vehicle according to claim 1, whereinthe soil amount acquisition device detects a tractive force of the workvehicle, and the controller is further configured to calculate the heldsoil amount from the tractive force of the work vehicle.
 4. The controlsystem for a work vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the soil amountacquisition device detects a change in the actual topography, and thecontroller is further configured to calculate the held soil amount fromthe change in the actual topography.
 5. The control system for a workvehicle according to claim 1, wherein the soil amount acquisition deviceacquires image data of the soil held by the work implement, and thecontroller is further configured to calculate the held soil amount fromthe image data.
 6. The control system for a work vehicle according toclaim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to update theactual topography with the actual topography information from the actualtopography acquisition device, update the held soil amount of the workimplement with the soil amount signal from the soil amount acquisitiondevice, and determine a next intermediate design topography based on theupdated actual topography and the updated held soil amount of the workimplement.
 7. The control system for a work vehicle according to claim1, wherein the controller includes a first controller disposed outsideof the work vehicle, and a second controller that communicates with thefirst controller and is disposed inside the work vehicle, the firstcontroller is configured to acquire the actual topography informationfrom the actual topography acquisition device, and acquire the designtopography information from the storage device, and the secondcontroller is configured to generate the command signal to move the workimplement.
 8. A control method for a work vehicle having a workimplement, the control method comprising: acquiring actual topographyinformation, which indicates an actual topography of a work target;acquiring design topography information, which indicates a final designtopography that is a target topography of the work target; acquiring asoil amount signal, which indicates a held soil amount of the workimplement, and calculating the held soil amount; determining anintermediate design topography that is positioned above the actualtopography and below the final design topography based on the held soilamount; and generating a command signal to move the work implement basedon the intermediate design topography.
 9. The control method for a workvehicle according to claim 8, wherein a distance between the actualtopography and the intermediate design topography is changed inaccordance with the held soil amount.
 10. The control method for a workvehicle according to claim 8, wherein a tractive force of the workvehicle is detected, and the held soil amount is calculated from thetractive force of the work vehicle.
 11. The control method for a workvehicle according to claim 8, wherein a change of the actual topographyis detected, and the held soil amount is calculated from the change ofthe actual topography.
 12. The control method for a work vehicleaccording to claim 8, wherein image data of the soil held by the workimplement is acquired, and the held soil amount is calculated from theimage data.
 13. The control method for a work vehicle according to claim8, wherein the actual topography is updated with the actual topographyinformation from the actual topography acquisition device, the held soilamount of the work implement is updated with the soil amount signal fromthe soil amount acquisition device, and a next intermediate designtopography is determined based on the updated actual topography and theupdated held soil amount of the work implement.
 14. A work vehiclecomprising: a work implement; and a controller configured to acquireactual topography information, which indicates an actual topography of awork target, acquire design topography information, which indicates afinal design topography that is a target topography of the work target,acquire a soil amount signal, which indicates a held soil amount of thework implement, and calculate the held soil amount, determine anintermediate design topography that is positioned above the actualtopography and below the final design topography based on the held soilamount, and control the work implement based on the intermediate designtopography.
 15. The work vehicle according to claim 14, wherein thecontroller is further configured to change a distance between the actualtopography and the intermediate design topography in accordance with theheld soil amount.
 16. The work vehicle according to claim 14, whereinthe controller is further configured to acquire a tractive force of thework vehicle, and calculate the held soil amount from the tractive forceof the work vehicle.
 17. The work vehicle according to claim 14, whereinthe controller is further configured to acquire a change in the actualtopography, and calculate the held soil amount from the change of theactual topography.
 18. The control method for a work vehicle accordingto claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to acquireimage data of the soil held by the work implement, and calculate theheld soil amount from the image data.
 19. The work vehicle according toclaim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to update theactual topography with the actual topography information, update theheld soil amount of the work implement with the soil amount signal, anddetermine a next intermediate design topography based on the updatedactual topography and the updated held soil amount of the workimplement.